Troy
by RoadToAvalon
Summary: Daniel Thomson has asked Troy Bolton to take care of Gabriella Montez and her son, before he died. Gabriella only wants one thing: an ordinary man, and Troy is anything but...
1. First Impression

**Troy**

'You're doing great. I promise.' 

'Are you sure? I can't stop but wonder if Ricky doesn't see me like his big sister rather than his mother.' 

'Well, it's a beginning. I think your relation will grow.'

By seeing her worried face, Troy said on the edge of her bed.

She had never been able to find warmth in the color blue, but now she saw a fire lighting up. It was desire that burned in Troy's blue eyes.

Even when he hadn't touched her for a couple of days, it was still as if he had kissed her passionately just seconds ago.

'Gabi,' he started, staring at her full lips. 'Do you think we...'

**What went on before...**

Finally the inevitable happened. Daniel Thomson, loved by his entire family and a lot of friends, has passed away. The funeral is visited by dozens, all the members of the Thomson family are there, and the Boltons are there too.

Of course Troy, who had build a very special bond with Daniel in the last weeks of his life, is there too. He promised him that he would take care of Gabriella Montez, because Daniel feels guilty about the way he treated Gabriella for the passed years.

But there is something else on Troy's mind as well. He realizes that his brother, Chris Bolton has brought even more pain. After the funeral he knows that he has to solve his brothers case, before he can have peace with everything else.

He will not rest before he found Chris and has made him pay for all the pain he cause others...

**Who is who?**

TROY BOLTON: FBI-agent with just one goal: tracing his murderous brother Chris. Troy thinks a relationship is nothing for him, until he has to resolve his promise to Daniel Thomson. Will the sun shine for him after all?

GABRIELLA MONTEZ: young woman who has been in a coma for ten years and has to rebuild her life from scratch. Will she ever be same woman like before? And will she find love in her new existence?

RICKY MONTEZ: Gabi's ten-year-old son. He has never known his mother, seeing she has been in a coma for all of his life. Will he be able to build a bond with his mother after all? Is there room for a man in their hard relation?

LILY THOMSON: Daniels third wife and big love.

CHRIS BOLTON: has numerous murders on his consciousness. Now Daniel has died, he points all his revenge on his brother Troy. Without hesitating he will kill everyone that will block his way.

**Troy, soon here to read on Fan Fiction.**

A/N: what you think of it? You like it? Shall I continue? Please leave a review!! xoxo,,Daph.


	2. Chapter 1 Part One

**Chapter One – Part One**

The living room of the big Texan ranch was filled with beautiful flowers. The tables almost broke by the weight of the food that was on it, and on the bar all kinds of drinks were set up.

If you would see the house like this, you would think that there was some fantastic feast going on, Troy Bolton thought. He was in a not so good to see spot in the shadows, watching over everything that was going on. The mood in the house was everything but festive, because he was here for a funeral.

'I still can't believe he's dead,' he heard a small, gray haired woman talking to another guest. 'It just won't come into my head that Daniel Thomson really is dead.'

Troy closed his eyes. He couldn't barely believe it himself. But all of them should get used to it, because Daniel Thomson had died.

Since Daniel Thomson was diagnosed with a brain tumor, friends and family had seen him fall back pretty fast. Eventually the nice, beloved rancher had died from the fatal disease.

Now everyone was together to remember his life. Daniel's ashes had been thrown out onto the land of his beloved Double Crown Ranch, just this morning.

Troy hadn't been surprised when he heard that Daniel was terminal ill. By his work for the FBI he had changed so much, that he never dared to hope for a good ending for anything. He was a pessimist in everything you could think of, always thinking the worst. He even started to get used to the funerals.

'Do you want to become an undertaker in a next life or something?' a voice in his ear whispered. 'Your look is dark enough for it.'  
'Why would you irritate yourself at my dark look?' was Troy's question. 'I mean, it's not like I irritate myself at your ugly face...'  
Both men knew that that last sentence was just teasing. The first speaker was anything but ugly. He was Collin Bolton, Troy's cousin and best friend. He was a few years older than Troy was and was just as good looking as his cousin.

The two men were both well muscled and about 6 foot 3. They were broad shouldered and athletically build, which would come in very proficient in their work. It wasn't even too excessive to say that they had to thank their lives several times to their physical strength and superb condition.

Their dark hair was cut in the same short, practical hairdo. Collin's hazel eyes were just a bit lighter than Troy's dark blue eyes.

'I know,' Collin said smiling. 'I'm really thankful for your tolerance. But seriously, Troy, I'm worried about you. You look like you would escape back to the mountains any minute now.'

Troy put his hands back into the pockets of his dark pants, without talking back. After the funeral of his brother Jason and the tragic ending of one of his last FBI-cases he had left for the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico, to live as a hermit. There he had tried to repel his sorrow, loneliness and frustration with cheap tequila.

When his father came to tell him the news of his other brother, Chris, escaping prison, Troy was back with both feet on the ground. Determined he had put the bottle away. From that moment on he only had had one goal in mind and one only: Trace Chris and punish him for the fact that he had killed Jason.

'When my dad saw me their at the cabin in New Mexico, he has taken the keys and threatened to burn the building down,' Troy told. 'You don't have to be scared that I will be going back there.'  
'Good.' Collin looked around the room. 'I haven't seen Uncle Black and Aunt Darcy, but it's really crowded around here. Are your parents here?'

Troy shook his head. 'I'm the only representative of the Bolton family,' he answered with a sigh. 'My parents didn't dare to come, because Chris abducted Daniel's widow Lily a few months ago. They're really embarrassed for the fact that their son has caused this family so much pain. They had the feeling it wouldn't be right to come here today.'

After the abduction of Lily Thomson and Chris' escape, Troy had called his cousin Collin. He had asked him to come to Red Rock in Texas, because he would join him to find Chris. Despite their experience and expertise they hadn't been able to trace their criminal family member.

It was as if Collin could read his mind. 'We will get him, Troy,' he said with a soothing voice.

'No, Í will get him,' Troy corrected him, although he knew really well that the police and he were on a dead trail. Lily was freed, but Jason had the money in his hands and had killed a FBI-agent. Since then, nobody had seen anything of him.

'You have to take care of Lucy, Collin,' he resumed. 'Now you're engaged I can't desire from you that you'll be there to help me. But don't worry, I will take care of my brother making anymore victims. Even if it would cost me my life, I want Chris to pay for the pain he caused.'

Apart from the deaths of Jason and the FBI-agent, Chris had numerous more murders on his consciousness. He had strangled his own girlfriend Melissa and had shot a prison guard.

A second prison guard, named McGruder, had barely survived the confrontation with Chris. By now he had been recovered and has to stand up for his part in the escape. But none the less Troy would rather see his own brother in court than the prison guard.

'You've got that stubborn look in your eyes again, mate,' Collin warned softly. 'I want Chris behind bars no less than you do, but it can't go by the cost of your own life or happiness...'

Happiness? With a tart smile Troy shook his head. Since Collin had lost his heart to Lucy, he had become a lot softer.

'Romance has turned you into a wimp, Collin,' he said. 'You know that I haven't believed in luck for a long long time.'

All of a Sudden Troy wasn't in the mood to talk about luck. Without excusing himself he walked away with his head down. When he rounded the corner, he knocked over a paintings easel with a huge picture of Daniel on it. He held out his hand to prevent the picture from falling onto the ground.

'Daniel Thomson. Husband, Father and Friend. Loved by all,' was printed on the card beneath the picture.  
Troy looked at the picture, Daniel's eyes looked like they glistened, just like they had done in real life. The next moment it was like Troy felt a hand on his shoulder, as if the old man was behind him.

Was he trying to make Troy clear about something from the other side? Was he trying to make him remember something?

Suddenly Troy had the feeling he needed some fresh air. He walked through the hallway and pulled the heavy front door open. It was cold and there was a sharp wind, but he didn't let that stop him.

The air looked like it could start to rain any minute. It fitted Troy's mood perfectly, He didn't want to think about his promise to Daniel anymore. Loved by all... The little sentence kept playing around in his mind. On the grave of his brother Jason was: Our loved Jason. The family of Jessica Chandler had 'In loving memory' on her stone.

During the past years, Troy had found out that there was no use with those little sentences. They weren't there to ease the pain from the loss. Love only made the missing of the past away ones only harder and wouldn't be able to bring the died loved ones back in any circumstance.

Without paying attention to the cold he leaned against the house wall. Pondering he stared to the pottery on both sides of the access lane. Even though it was only April, a few plants were showing their heads carefully.

He knew that it would take another month before all the bright colors would appear again in full glory. He wondered if he would still be in Red Rock by then, but knew he wouldn't be paying attention to the flowers even if he was. In his heart it had been winter for ages.

In the distance he heard a soft rhythmical sound. Curious he got up from his spot and walked over to the sound with his hands in his pocket. It was a little boy in an expensive, dark blue blazer and a khaki colored pants. On one of his knees was a large streak of mud. Between his shining shoes was a black-white ball, that he threw up in the air with the point of his shoe and tried to hold it up in the air for as long possible afterwards. When the ball rolled off of his shoes, he would start over.

Troy's thoughts went back to a few months ago. That's when he saw this boy with a dark-haired woman and an elderly couple in a restaurant in Red Rock. Troy hadn't been able to see the face of the dark-haired woman, but he could see by the face of the boy that he wasn't really comfortable.

The wind blew the dark hairs of the little boy up, and a few raindrops fell down from the clouded sky. The boy looked up shivering, but then went on with his little game. At the next squall it started to rain for real.

**A/N: It's only part one of the first chapter, but I am way too tired to write more :P hehe but dont worry there will definitely be more! my head is full with ideas for this story! Keep on reading and reviewing :) thanks in advance!! xoxo,,Daph.**


	3. Chapter 1 Part Two

**A/N: Thanks for everyone that has reviewed this story :) I'm glad everyone seems to enjoy this! I got one review with the question if I could elaborate on the plot, because she didn't get it, so here's the plot again, I hope it's more clear now!**

**Daniel Thomson asked Troy Bolton to take care of Gabriella Montez and her son Ricky when he dies. Gabriella, who doesn't have an easy life is thankful for his support, but Troy doesn't know what to do when he feels attracted to her. Gabriella only wants one thing: a normal life with an ordinary man. And Troy is anything but...**

**Chapter One – Part Two**

Troy walked back to the door, because he wasn't in the mood for a wet suit. He just wanted to turn around to call the boy in when he thought the boy wasn't his responsibility. It was not his job to baby-sit other people's children. Behind him a door opened.

'Richard?' a female voice called. 'Richard, are you outside?'

The boy didn't answer and kept playing with the ball. The rain started to increase, but he pretended to not have heard the voice.

Troy shrugged and turned around. He just wanted to get some fresh air, but he didn't like rain. It was time to go back inside, find Lily and say a few nice words. Maybe he could go back to the hotel afterwards.

'Richard?' The voice seemed to get closer and closer. The next moment a woman turned the corner. Right that moment the sun started to shine. Troy stood still abruptly, because he knew it wasn't just the spring weather. In the light little moonbeam that broke through the gray clouds, was a dark haired, slim woman in a simple white dress. He blinked his eyes. She looked like an angel, a beautiful candle, a...

It's time you get more than three hours sleep a night, he thought to himself.

The woman looked at him for a second, then looked past him to the child. 'Richard...' she called.

'My name is Ricky,' the child reacted irritated. 'Ricky, Ricky, Ricky.'

The woman's face clouded, and Troy thought she would burst out in tears any minute. He set a step in her direction, ready to comfort her if it was necessary.

But the woman straightened up and tried her best to smile. 'Well, Ricky-Ricky-Ricky, I just wanted to say that you shouldn't stay out playing in the rain.'

'It's not raining anymore.'

The words came from Troy's mind. He didn't understand himself why he meddled in other people's conversations. He didn't understand either why he wanted to take this woman into his arms. Tonight he had to go to bed early!

The woman looked at him for a while and looked up to the sky. It was as if a flower directed the head to the sun. A little sunbeam lighted up her light skin, small nose and beautiful lips.

By looking at her face, Troy had to think of the spring. It was as if the winter disappeared from his heart and made place for warmth, colorful flowers and green leaves. Before he knew what he was doing, he had set another step in her direction.

'You're right. It's not raining anymore,' she said, closing her eyes. She swayed a little from one side to the other, as if it was hard for her to keep her balance. 'I can't believe how wonderful it is to feel the sun on your face.'

Troy couldn't help but stare at her face. 'Who are you?' he wanted to know. Even in his own ears the question sounded harsh and adversed. The woman was playing with his mind and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know why he felt so attracted to her.

To his amazement the disobedient boy answered. Even though he had been rude to the beautiful woman before, he stood in between her and Troy, as if to protect her.

'Her name is Gabriella Montez,' he answered. 'And I'm Ricky. Who are you?'

Gabriella Montez and her son Ricky. Troy got a knot in his stomach. He hadn't thought of them since the death of Daniel. Maybe that's why he had felt so uncomfortable with her and why he had reacted this way. He probably knew subconsciously who she was and did she remember him of his promise.

The promise he did to Daniel...

'Well?' the boy wanted to know 'Who are you?'  
Troy took a deep breath and looked into Gabriella Montez' big brown eyes. Spring... He had to put that thought away to prevent from getting lost. 'I'm the man that will take care of you for the next few weeks.'

When they were back inside, Troy didn't stand back. To the first person he saw he asked where he could find doctor Violet Thomson. When the guest had pointed him to the diner room, Troy walked past all the sorrowing guests. In the diner room he found the neurosurgeon, who was just getting some fruit salad on a plate. 'Violet, I need you for minute,' he said.

She put the silver spoon down and turned around so she was facing him. 'What you need is more night rest, less feelings of guilt and a healthier diet,' she said. 'That will be 200 dollars. You can send the check to my office.'

'Very funny.' There was no sign of a smile on his face. 'I wanted to speak to you about Gabriella Montez.'

'I'm not her doctor, Troy, and even if I was...'

'Daniel told you about her, didn't he?' Troy asked seriously.

For more than ten years Daniel had felt guilty about Gabriella and her son Ricky. Gabriella had been in the car Daniel's brother Cameron had been driving when Cameron had caused a serious accident. Cameron hadn't survived the accident, and Gabriella had slipped into a coma. At that moment she had been pregnant with Cameron's son Ricky.

Because Daniel had been ashamed of the fact that his brother had been drunk behind the wheel and had robbed his son from his father right after that, had he kept the story a secret for everyone. Lily and Violet were the only ones in the family that knew about it.

Violet nodded. 'Daniel has talked about her several times, but let me promise that I wouldn't talk about it with anybody,' she answered. 'That's why I'm not really comfortable with talking about her file with you right now.'

'Then let's talk about brain damage in general,' Troy said. That surely were the wounds that Gabriella had gotten in the accident. 'And about coma's, waking up from them and recovery.'

'Okay, okay.' Violet put her cool hand on his arm. 'But do you have to talk to me about that today?'

Although Troy knew that maybe today wasn't the best day or the best surroundings to talk about it, he nodded. He had felt powerless when Daniel died and was extremely frustrated that he couldn't find Chris' hide out. Now he finally could do something concrete.

'Yeah,' he said. 'Please?' He added quickly.

Violet shook her head smiling. 'I'll walk to Peter to tell him where I am,' she said. 'I'll see you in a couple of minutes in Daniel's study. Celeste is at home, so we don't want to be gone long.'

Troy's face formed into a grin. Celeste was Violet's adopted daughter, and he knew that the girl had had a heavy operation on her back recently. 'Tell your husband that I won't hold you back for long,' he said.

Violet smiles. 'I could never call you a mister talks-a-lot, Troy,' she teased.

She probably meant that normally he was brusque and crude. Troy didn't mind that, mainly because Violet held on to her words and was back within a few minutes.

While they sat down on the leather sofa in the corner of the room, Troy's gaze turned to the large desk. 'The last time I was here, it seamed like Daniel was taking in more space than his desk,' he muttered.

Violet handed him one of the cups filled with coffee that she brought with her. 'We all have to get used to the fact that he isn't here anymore.'

Troy knew that he couldn't bring the man back, but he knew he could keep his promise to Daniel. 'We were going to talk about severe brain damage,' he said.

'You're a really charming man to talk to, Troy,' Violet said. 'Always ready to talk about the birds and bees...' When she saw he was going to say something, she held up her hand. 'I won't tease you again. Severe brain damage...'

She took a sip from her coffee. 'Brain damage is mostly caused by an accident. Because of the hit bruises appear on the brain, that can swell up later on. Every year several people die because they had a hit against their head. When we talk about younger people, it's even one of the most important death causes.

Troy nodded. 'Do people with severe brain damage slip in coma?' he wanted to know.

'Not all of them, but if the brain-tame is damaged, the victim usually slips into a coma,' Violet explained.

'Is it normal for someone to be in a coma for years?' Troy asked.

Violet hesitated, because they were clearly talking about Gabriella now. She had slipped into a coma after the accident, and her doctors had discovered she pregnant for a few months. She had totally unconscious delivered her son and had only woken up a year ago.

'It's not occur frequently, but it's a real miracle when the patient wakes up after years and recovers enough to get on with her life just like she would've done otherwise,' she answered.

'So it's not like those movies where people wake up and get out of their beds as if nothing happened?' Troy asked.

Violet shook her head. 'That only happens in Sleeping Beauty,' she answered. 'In reality that barely happens. In Gabriella's case...' She didn't finish her sentence. 'Troy, I'm not comfortable talking about this.'

Troy didn't even try to change her thoughts. 'Then let's talk about the hypothetical case again. What if the patient is in a deep coma...'

Violet shook her head.

'She wasn't in a coma?'

'That depends on what you think when you talk about a coma,' Violet explained. 'If you look up the word coma in the dictionary, it will say "case of total unconsciousness, noticed by absence of any behavior and most of the reflexes, mostly caused by brain disorders or poison". But it's not impossible that the patient isn't totally unconscious, but does react on certain things. In this semi-subconsciousness state the patient will be able to swallow food and it's possible to hold back the reversing of the muscles with help from the physical exercises. There are people that stay in this state for the rest of their lives.'

'How could Gabriella... I mean, how can the patient be taken from this state?' Troy asked.

'Nobody knows,' Violet answered, shrugging. 'You could say it's a miracle when it happens.'

The word 'miracle' wasn't in most FBI-agents dictionaries.

'Daniel thought that Gabriella needed help,' he told her. 'I promised him I would take care of her.'

Violet hesitated, but then nodded. 'Okay, then let's talk about Gabriella after all,' she said. 'Daniel was right, she does need help. Ten years have passed. The world around Gabriella has changed. Gabriella herself has changed. She has been in a recovery center for the past year, to practice old skills and new skills as well. I don't think she has had an easy time in there.'

'Daniel said that she would be finishing her recovery soon. He wanted me to protect her,' Troy told her.

'That's really something for Daniel,' Violet said. 'But even then you should ask Gabriella herself if she wants to be protected. I found out that she will be moving in with Nancy and Dean Armstrong, the couple that has taken care of Ricky for the past ten years.'

Troy thought about the irreverent Ricky and the fairy-like Gabriella. 'It doesn't matter what she wants. I promised Daniel,' he said. 'It's the least I can do for him.'

'Now I hear your guilt talking again,' Violet said. 'Maybe Gabriella wouldn't feel comfortable at all when you feel obliged to protect her.'

'It's not an obligation, it's a...' Pressure. In his thoughts he saw her face and he felt Daniel's hands on his shoulder. He was send to protect her. How could he explain that to Violet without making an idiot of himself?

'I only know that I have to protect her,' he said in the end.

Violet lifted up her coffeecup, as if she wanted to cheer about something. 'I wish you all the luck, you're gonna need it if you want to persuade here with that,' she said.

Right after Gabriella woke up, she looked into the little notebook that was on her night stand. Last evening she had made some notes in it.

'It's Tuesday May 2nd today,' she read out loud. 'You got another room. You're in the southern wing now and your bathroom is on your right hand. Get up, take a shower and get dressed. Then go down to have breakfast.'

From the day she had arrived in the recovery center, she taught herself to write such things down. In the beginning she had been disorientated pretty fast and she had needed this kind of a hold on. Now it was just nice to have such a memory trick.

She got up and got a T-shirt, a sweatpants and a pair of sport shoes. Sometime later she had to go the physical therapies. A year ago she had needed to learn to walk again. Now she had this craving to jog for a bit on her own. Maybe she was ready for it in a few days.

But even now her heart skipped a beat at the thought of Independence. Her therapist had said that she was ready to face the big, bad world, but Gabriella didn't like the term he used. For her it wasn't a joke to go back into it.

In the big, bad world she would have to build up a new existence. A new existence for herself and her ten-year-old son Richard. Ricky. A smile appeared on her face at the thought of her son. The relation with him was strange, but it was nice to think about him none the less. She got under the shower and put on the warm stream of water. The next moment the smile disappeared from her face.

'Damn it!' she yelled irritated. She had forgotten to take off her nightgown. The piece of clothing was stuck to her naked skin right now.

She hated to forget such stuff. Even after the amazing breakfast she had after the shower couldn't get her in a better mood. At the sight of her angry face one of the therapists sat down next to her. 'Did you have a bet night? Or do you have a headache?' she informed friendly.

Gabriella felt her cheeks burn up. 'I got under the shower without taking my nightgown off,' she said. The therapist laughed. 'You're angry about that?' she asked.

'What would you think of it?' was Gabriella's question back. 'Which adult woman gets into the shower with her night clothing still on? It's bad enough that I had to put down notes to remember to wash my hair. Now I even forget to undress.'

The woman bended over to her 'Please don't tell anyone else, but I went to work in my pink slippers one day,' she confessed on confidential tone. 'If you're not there with your thoughts, it's normal to forget such things.'

Gabriella wasn't convinced. How could she ever live a normal life if she would forget such simple things?

It was as if her therapist read her mind. 'You solved the problem, Gabriella,' she comforted. 'You found out you made the mistake and acted on it. There's nothing more to desire from yourself.'

Gabriella kept on looking straight ahead of her.

'You pondering on something else, Gabriella?' the woman asked.

Gabriella nodded. 'On a man,' she answered.

'Daniel Thomson?' the therapist asked. 'It's perfectly normal to be sad about him.'

Gabriella indeed was sad about Daniel. He had been really sweet for her and her supported her when she had become conscious again. Daniel had found this recovery center and had paid for the treatment. After the funeral it had become clear to her that he had started a fund for Gabriella, so she didn't have to worry about money for the rest of her life.

'I miss Daniel, but this is about another man,' she said. She held out her hand to the note boo,k, in which she had written that she had an appointment with the couple Armstrong and Troy Bolton.

The couple Armstrong were like the hand she had needed to hang on to. They had lost their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter to a drunk driver. After this tragic loss they had joined the "Mothers Against Drunk Driving", a society that tried to prevent drinks behind the wheel.

That society had been one of Daniels charities. When the Armstrongs heard from Daniel what had happened to Gabriella, they had been ready to take care of the little Ricky immediately. They had raised him like their own son and had been visiting Gabriella every single week.

When Gabriella had regained consciousness and had been taken to the recovery center, they had started to visit her there. Right now, when Gabriella was almost ready to come out of the center, they had opened the doors to their house to her. She wasn't worried about the couple Armstrong at all. It was the other name in her notebook that made her nervous.

'Who is Troy Bolton?' the therapist asked, looking at the name Gabriella pointed at with her finger.

A rough, ice cold FBI-agent, Gabriella thought. A man that will take the strings in his hands right away and that makes me really nervous with his piercing blue eyes. He confuses me, so I don't know what to say to him at all.

On the day of the funeral he had said that she would take care of her. It wasn't even a question or an offer, it was an account. After those words he had walked away and left her behind confused.

She even thought she had heard him wrong, but yesterday Troy had called to tell her he wanted to make an appointment with her and the Armstrongs. Gabriella had no idea why. She only knew he worked for the FBI, because Ricky had found that out from conversations other guests had had.

'Gabriella, who is that man?' the therapist asked again, just as friendly.

'Troy is...' She lifted her hand. 'Troy Bolton is...'

'A little too early,' a low voice sounded from the doorway.

Gabriella shivered. There was the man that gave her goosebumps. He looked big, broad and almost scary. The piercing blue eyes were looking deep into hers again.

The big, bad wolf from the big, bad world...

**A/N: ok that was the end of chapter one : what you think? Was it good.. did it suck? Please leave a review! Thanks for reading! xoxo Daph.**


	4. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here's chapter two to my story 'Troy' Hope you're gonna like it! And for those who haven't read it yet, please check out my new one-shot 'Daddy's Little Girl' it's up in my profile!**

**Chapter Two**

Gabriella noticed that the hallways of the recovery center were too small when Troy Bolton walked next to her. He seemed so big and manly in his sportive long trousers and his button-up shirt. And even thought he gave her all the space she needed, he seemed really close to her. A little nervous she went into her room, so he could follow.

He didn't say a word and walked almost soundlessly, but the silence was deafening. He radiated so much power and self-assurance, that he kept on confusing Gabriella. She would be happy if he'd leave. 'You didn't tell me what you wanted to see me about,' she said. If she hadn't been so surprised the day before that he called, she would've asked that before.

'I didn't?' he asked. With a fathomless glance he looked into one of the practice rooms, where three patients were working. One of them was playing video games, the second was making a puzzle and the third tried to get little pins in a plate with holes.

'Have you been doing these kind of stuff over the past year?' he informed. Gabriella nodded 'yeah,' she answered. She wasn't embarrassed about it at all. 'Video games and puzzles are good to train your memory and concentration. You get physiotherapies and occupational therapies. When I first got here I was like a kid. I had to learn lots of skills over again.

'Are you back at your old level now? Are you healed?' Troy wanted to know. Gabriella gulped. 'I don't think I will heal completely,' she confessed. It was the hard truth she had had to accept in the recovery center. 'I'm not the person I was before the accident.'

She didn't know who the new Gabriella had to be then. The fact that she lost ten years, made problem only bigger and bigger. Her past was just as clouded as her future was. She was wrestling with her new identity and had to get used to the life she had now. She was scared that it would be even harder for her after she would get out of the recovery center.

Even though Nancy and Drew Armstrong would wait for her in her room, she kept getting more nervous. She loved the couple Armstrong, that would visit her and take her out for a little trip every once in a while. Now their presence reminded her only of the fact that she would have to leave the recovery center soon. Soon she would move to their house and would have to start her new life. From that moment she would have to meddle in her son's upbringing as well.

'Hello Nancy. Hi Dean. Nice to see you again.' Gabriella hugged the couple. Nancy smiled. 'I brought you some more pictures.' Nancy pressed a little amount of photos in her hand. 'Pictures of soccer games and the school trip from last week.' Gabriella took the little album. The Armstrongs tried their very best to get her into Ricky's life as much as possible. They took pictures, told her stories and brought the boy with them as much as they could. It was not their fault that Gabriella found it hard to take on the role of a mother.

She put the thought away from her and pointed at her companion. 'Do you know Troy Bolton?' she asked. Much to her surprise Nance and Drew did seem to know Troy. When everyone had taken a place, she decided to get straight down to business.

'Mr. Bolton...'

'Call me Troy,' he said.

'Okay, then I will call you Troy, what can we help you with?' she asked.

Nancy and Drew looked at each other. The big bad wolf kept looking Gabriella straight in the eyes. 'The question is, what can I do for you,' was his obscure reaction.

The answer didn't fall good with her. 'I don't need anything,' she said.

Troy looked at Nancy and Drew for a second before he glanced at her again. 'You will get out of the recovery center soon,' he said. 'I would like to help you.'

Was he talking about offering himself as a mover? Something else than that was a puzzle for Gabriella.

'I'm moving in with Nancy and Drew for a while when I get out of here,' she said. 'I have almost nothing personal, so I don't need a mover. I have some clothes and books, that's all.'

Troy didn't say anything, which caused a uncomfortable silence. Gabriella could feel her heart beat. With trembling hands she took the pictures from the album, just to get it straight that she had no idea what to do with the situation. From the pictures a smiling Ricky was looking at her.

'I promised Daniel I would take care of you,' Troy told her. Surprised she frowned. 'What exactly have you promised him?' she wanted to know. 'That I would take care of you. That I would make your life as easy as possible,' Troy answered. He looked at the ground. 'It was really important for him to know that everything would be ok for you.'

'That's really nice, but I don't need any help,' she reacted firmly. 'I don't need anyone to make my life easier.' Of course that wasn't true, but she couldn't come into the fact that anyone would actually be able to help her. Nobody could just deliver her the mother feeling or take her fears and panic attacks away.

'I could solve a few practical problems for you,' Troy said. 'Take away a few roadblocks.'

Gabriella didn't know if she should decline his offer or not. When she looked at Nancy and Drew she saw the pressured look on Nancy's face. 'What's wrong?' she asked. 'What are you keeping from me?' Nancy sighed 'I think we're only confusing you Gabriella. That's not what we were trying to do. It's like this: we thought of a new plan to help you.'

'A new plan? A plan that involves him?' Gabriella asked, pointing at Troy. 'Now I'm really confused.'

Dean cleared his throat. 'Nancy and I were actually really happy when Troy called and told us what he had promised Daniel,' he said. 'with Troy's help you will be able to get on your own feet much faster than when you will move in into our house. As you know the therapists aren't really enthusiastic about it either.'

Gabriella swallowed with effort. She knew really well that her therapists didn't think it was a good idea that she was moving in with the Armstrongs. The couple had a housekeeper and a cook. With all that help there was the danger that all the things she had learned, she wouldn't use any of it.

'Do you want me to move somewhere else?' she asked whispering. Would she be able to get on if the Armstrongs let her go? 'No, Gabriella, you're getting the wrong idea,' Nancy said quickly. 'We don't want you lose you at all. We wanted to offer that you moved into the guest abode by the pool. It has three bedrooms, a bathroom and a complete kitchen. In the guest abode you will be able to take care of yourself completely. Troy could stay in one of the bedrooms and help you with everything for the first weeks.

Gabriella rubbed her forehead pondering. She already felt a headache come up. Changes in the daily routine would completely get her off battle. Learning to deal with new ideas and situations – she had to work on it for the coming time.

She looked back at the pictures in her lap. It took a few seconds before it clicked that she was looking at her own baby. Ricky on the soccer field. Ricky with his arms around to other boys. Ricky in the museum. Ricky, her son.

Dean followed her look. 'Ricky could stay in his room at our house for a little while,' he said. 'During the day he could just walk over to you. It would be for the best for both of you.'

The best for both of you. The sentence pounded around in her head. The best for both of you. The attracting part of the offer was that she wouldn't be in the way of the Armstrong family and would stay with them longer. More time to not take all the responsibility to take care of Ricky. For that reason she was even ready to put the big bad wolf between herself and her son.

As soon as Gabriella woke up, she put her hand out to her note book.

_It's Friday May 8__th__. You've moved. You live in the guest abode of Nancy and Dean Armstrong now. The bathroom is on the other side of the hallway. If it's morning now, you have to get up, take a shower and get dressed._

The familiar rules made it less scary to wake up in a strange room. She lay back into the pillows on the bed and looked at the sunlight that shone through the windows. Yesterday she had put her stuff in the most cozy room. After that she had been so tired of all the efforts that she had put on her pajama's and had fallen asleep right away. She did thought about writing down these rules.

Her groaning stomach reminded her about the fact that she had skipped dinner last night. The breakfast had to wait for a little longer though. If it's morning now, you have to get up, take a shower and get dressed.

She found it pleasant to hold onto her own instructions. If she tried to improvise, she would get so confused sometimes, just like that one time when she had forgotten to put on her clothes. She went to the appointment with Daniel Thomson's lawyers in her pajama's. Lucky for her the conversation had taken place in the recovery center. She didn't want to think of what would have happened if she had appeared like that in the lawyers office in San Antonio.

At the moment she got out of bed, she saw she was wearing the same night gown she had worn on the day of the appointment. Nancy had picked it out of her, just like she had put most of her wardrobe together. The gown was made from thin, peach colored cotton and was very feminine.

In the mirror that was on the wall, she saw herself. She made a face against the image. She was still way too skinny, and in the thin gown she looked rather 12 than up in the thirties. Her stomach started rumbling again. Take a shower and get dressed, she thought. The bathroom was on the other side of the hallway. At that same moment that she opened the door of her bedroom, the door to the bathroom opened as well. In the door post was a man.

Her mouth fell open, but no sound was coming out. There was a tall, almost naked, broad shouldered man with a light green towel around his hips. Behind him circled trails of steam out of the bathroom. It was as if he was an erotic ghost from a wonder lamp. Too late she thought about covering her breasts with her arms. The man didn't seem to be looking at her breasts thought. He seemed cautious about her face, like she was some kind of wild animal that he didn't want to scare.

'Morning,' he said friendly. 'I thought you were still asleep.' She set a step backwards. 'I'm Troy Bolton, remember?' he asked. Gabriella looked at him 'Of course I remember,' she said, while she set another step back. She walked back to her room fast and slammed the door close. She remember who he was clearly, but in the chaos of the moving she had forgotten a few things. She grabbed her note book again and sat down on the edge of her bed to improve her last note.

_You've moved. You live in the guest abode of Nancy and Dean Armstrong now with Troy Bolton. The bathroom is on the other side of the hallway. Pay attention that he might be in the bathroom. If it's morning now, you have to get up, take a shower and get dressed. PUT ON A ROBE!_

A few minutes later she walked back to the bathroom. In the shower she had time to think about the fact that she had a roommate now. In the shower cabin hang a nice manly odor. Till her relieve he hadn't moved her bath stuff.

She took the red cupule off of the shampoo, the blue off of the conditioner and the yellow one off the shower gel. As soon as she had used one she put the cupule back onto it. It had happened that she had walked out of the shower with her head full of foam.

While she was soaping in she thought about Troy. It was the intention for him to stay with her for four weeks. If she mate a mistake and 'fell', he would catch her. Gabriella had agreed that he would talk to her therapists if she was going forward. It was kind of embarrassing that they were talking about her behind her back, but she had learned to put her feelings about that aside. In the recovery center there wasn't really any space for privacy either.

She had decided to see Troy as a machine instead of a man. He was an instrument that she needed for her healing. He just had a function in her life, just like a blow dryer, a toaster and the coffee machine. Okay, Troy Bolton was an incredibly sexy machine, but she did well staying in distance looking at him.

The fact that he wasn't interested in her, made it easier to see him as a machine. It made it easier to walk into the kitchen after her shower in just a simple jeans, a T-shirt and sport shoes. 'Hey. Do you want some coffee?' he informed with the kettle in his hand. See, he was just a domestic machine, she thought smiling. Thanking him, she took the cup out of his hand. They sat down at the table in front of each other. Troy took the paper and shove a bowl with fruit her way. Gabriella took a banana and took the skin off. Yes, he was a domestic machine, that took care of coffee and fruit. It was a luxury that she liked.

At the same time she knew that she had gotten used to this kind of service over the past year. In a while she would have to take care of herself. That's why she got up herself a while later to get a refill on her coffee. She walked to Troy with the kettle, looking at him with a questioning look. 'No, thanks,' he said. He looked at her for a bit.

Not one domestic machine had that kind of beautiful blue eyes or gorgeous eye lashes, who had the same tint as his dark hair. Before she got into what she did, she stroked his hair. Troy stiffened. Startled she pulled her hand back 'I'm sorry,' she muttered. 'I'm really sorry.' The green eyes disappeared under those long, dark eyelashes. 'It's okay,' he said.

He turned the page of the paper and seemed to be really into an ad about the craft shop. 'I just wanted to feel your hair,' she started explaining. 'I mean...' Troy looked up at her 'It's okay,' he repeated calmly.

In the recovery center they had probably told him that patients like Gabriella did impulsive things. Gabriella knew that too, but she never had to deal with it. She looked down and sat back in her seat fast. I don't have to be embarrassed about a thing, she thought. I don't have to embarrassed in front of him. He's only here to help me.

He was still looking at the ad of the craft shop. From under her eyelashes she looked at him. She could smell his incredible, manly aroma. A domestic machine? Nice try, but this was definitely an attractive man of flesh and blood. A man that would give four weeks of his life by taking care of her.

Why would he do that? For the first time it came to her. She sat up straight in her seat and put her lower arms on the table. She knew that patients like her were really turned to themselves for most of the time. That was most likely why the question had never occurred to her before. People with brain damage were really busy with learning new stuff that they didn't hold any interest for other things. When he had offered to move in with her, she didn't stand still by the fact what if would mean to him.

She saw it as a sign of movement that she was asking herself what was wrong with him for doing this. 'Troy?' she asked. He looked up questioned. Oh my god, he had beautiful eyes. She got so caught in them, that she almost forgot what she wanted to ask. 'Why are you here?' she asked eventually. His eyebrows raised. 'Did you forget that?'

Gabriella shook her head. 'I know what you are doing here, but you didn't tell me why you want to do this,' she explained. 'I only know that you promised Daniel something.'

He took his coffee cup and took a huge sip. 'Daniel was my family,' he told. 'During the last months of his life we had a good connection When he asked me to take care of you, I just couldn't say no.' Gabriella frowned. She was convinced that there was more to the story. 'Are you from around here?' she asked.

He shook his head. 'I haven't been living in Texas for a long, long time. My last official address was in Sacramento, California. That's where I worked for the FBI. I'm special leave for the past few months.

In her past life, Gabriella had worked for the government as well. She didn't know much about it anymore, but she knew that it wasn't normal for someone to be on leave for a few months. She couldn't be hold back to ask a few questions about it either. 'Why did Daniel ask you to take care of me?' she wanted to know. 'And why was it hard to say no?'

He stared at his coffee for a little while before he looked her straight in the eyes. 'I don't know why he chose me, and I said because my brother has put Daniel through hell for the past months of his life. The criminal who is known as Chris Wilkes, the man who at least killed four people and has abducted Lily Thomson, is my brother.'

The look in his eyes and his hoarse voice impressed her. Much more impression than she would want to. She could no longer see this man as a man. This man was a sensitive man. A man with a heart.

Troy knew that he had be careful with Gabriella, but he had scared her two times already. She had been startled when he walked out of the bathroom and now she was startled because of his story about Chris.

Later that morning they were driving to the supermarket. 'I'm sorry that I scared you with the story about me brother,' he said. Gabriella made a waving move and wrote something more down on the grocery list. 'No problem, I heard about Chris Wilkes, but I didn't know he was your brother.'

'I'm sorry,' he said again. 'You don't have to be! I'm not some tender flower that you have to protect against sun and wind,' she said. 'It's the intention that I got used to the normal world.' Troy knew that a human life was a tender flower. The story of Jessica Chandler was the living proof.

Gabriella appeared to be tougher than he thought. In the supermarket she got a cart. 'Let me do the shopping on my own,' she said. 'But do me a pleasure and stay behind me.' Troy did as he was asked and walked behind her about ten meters. He did take care of the fact that he didn't lose her jeans and dark hair from his eye.

She was skinny, but with a few pounds more she would look incredible. Even though she was slightly under weight she had beautiful feminine contours. He had seen that when she had appeared in that thin night gown this morning. He felt guilty noticing it immediately.

A young employer of the store by the cereals didn't seem to have any guilt feelings at all. His look scanned Gabriella's body without embarrassment. At the height of her breasts his eyes stopped. Troy had forgotten about what he promised Gabriella immediately. He walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulder 'You ok, sweetheart?' he asked with a warning look in the direction of the employer. Gabriella was startled 'what?' He softly stroke his hand over her shoulder 'You ok?' he repeated. 'Yeah, of course. What...' she blushed.

Troy smiled contently when the employer got the hint and went back to work. 'I tried to protect you against the Don Juan with zits, who was looking at you,' he explained. Under his hand her skin felt soft and warm.

She looked from the boy to Troy with a surprised look on her face. 'Don't be so silly,' she said. 'I'm old enough to be his mother.' Troy laughed 'Only in age, maybe,' he said.

With her long dark hair and her tight jeans she looked everything but motherly. Troy found her extremely attractive, but he pulled his hands back fast after all. He had to protect her. He couldn't be the next looking at her like that.

Gabriella pushed the cart along and stayed in the next row with the cans with soup. After a few minutes, Troy discovered that their was nothing in her cart. She hadn't taken out a single article from the stands. After she had stared at the soup for a few minutes she pushed the cart to the exit. At the parking lot she let go of the grocery list, which fell onto the ground. Troy picked it up and run after her. 'Gabriella?'

She turned around, facing him. In her big brown eyes, tears were evident. 'Are you ok?' he asked. Stupid question. It was clear she was scared and upset. Troy had no idea what he had to do now. A little clumsy he reached her the grocery list. 'You dropped this.'

With trembling fingers she took the list from him. 'There's so much choice,' she whispered. 'I had cereal on my list, but there are at least ten different kinds. I don't know what to choose. And bread... there's wholemeal bread, white bread, tiger bread, rye bread...' her voice fainted away and a tear rolled over her cheek.

Troy found it terrible to see her cry. 'Shh, shh. We'll try it again in another way.' Maybe they should've gone to a smaller sop. A neighborhood shop where they didn't have so much to choose from. 'Come on let's go home, we'll think of a solution there.'

'No.' She straightened her back and put her chin up in the air. Her cheek was still wet from that one tear. 'No, I want to do it now. I can do it.' Much to Troy's surprise his tender flower turned around and walked back into the supermarket. Full admiration he saw her pick a cart again and walk through the rows.

This time he did stay close to her and did he help her make choices. A half an hour later they got back to the car exhausted. When they had put the groceries in the trunk, Gabriella walked back to the front to get in.

Troy saw her tired, but happy smile. 'You're proud of yourself, aren't you?' he asked. Even he couldn't suppress a smile. Her smile broadened 'Yeah, I'm super proud of myself,' she said. 'In your eyes it might be nothing, but -'

He put a finger to her mouth. 'I think you've done great,' he said. Her lips felt really warm beneath his finger. Without him wanting it, he felt an electricity shock going through his body. He thought back to her nightgown and had to turn his look away from her.

'Sorry, were you trying to say something?' he asked. 'I was thanking you,' Gabriella answered. As if it was the most normal thing in the world, she set a step forward and snuggled up to him. Surprised, Troy wrapped his arms around her. She's just thankful, went through him. And you're embracing her because you want to protect her. But he couldn't prevent his heart from beating faster when he took in the fresh scent of her her hair.

She aroused him, and from experience he knew that that only complicated everything.

**A/N: And what you think? Their feelings are starting to play up :) hehe please review and thanks for everyone that did review! I'm loving the reviews :) xx Daph, next chapter will be up as soon as possible!**


	5. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to WyattHalliwell14, marebear11, citgirl2004, HSMandChelseaFCfan, leo95, casstudies and AniimeChiick for reviewing on last chapter :) I'm glad so many people seem to enjoy it :D So far I've got 766 hits, 10 people have the story on their faves and 12 people have the story on alert, and every thing's still counting! This is chapter three and I'm sorry it's a day later than normal, but I had the funeral of my best friend's mum yesterday.. Hope you keep reading and reviewing! Cause I love reading them and I reply to all of them, so you don't have to worry about that :D **

**Oh and sorry about the Drew in last chapter... Whenever I'm writing the story I always want to put Drew instead of Dean... Don't ask me why, because I have NO idea!**

**I've decided to update on this story every Saturday, since that's when I'm at home and I have my computer. I write during the week as well, but I'm in college and it takes loads of my time, more than I like actually.. but it gives me no time to update. Occasionally there will be a one-shot in between just to get my mind on different things as well :) You might have noticed that most of my one-shots are really emotional, but hey I like it :P and I get my ideas from the music I listen to so lol. Ok enough of my rambling, on with the story! Enjoy Chapter Three of Troy!! xx**

**Chapter Three**

The first step to an independent life wasn't as Gabriella thought it would be. She was happy that Troy had helped her to make her supermarket adventure a success after all. After she had unloaded the groceries and had slept for about an hour, she made an important decision. Her victory of that morning gave her enough courage to get to the first point on her list of important goals. It was time that she took the role of Ricky's mother on her.

She walked to the guest room, where Troy had just put together some fitness equipments. Just like her he was wearing a jeans and a T-shirt, but his wasn't hanging loosely around his body. Much to her surprise their was more fitness material around the room. She saw weights, bar-bells and a big, still rolled up mat.

'What's all of this?' she asked.

'I like keeping my condition up to where it is now,' Troy explained. 'It would be good for you as well, to train your muscles. Nancy and Dean gave me permission to turn this space into a little gym.'

'I used to have an excellent condition,' Gabriella noted, looking in the mirrors that were hanging on the closets. 'Now I'm as skinny as a walking stick. A model would even be embarrassed with my figure.'

'I don't think so.' Troy was leaning against one of equipments. 'The fashion is skinny now, most women would kill for a body like yours. But if you want to rebuild your condition, you can always use the equipments. Do you want to try them?'

'Not now,' she answered, shaking her head. 'I don't want to bother you, but can I ask you for a favor?'

'That's why I'm here, Gabriella.'

She didn't really feel comfortable with that promise to Daniel. 'I have to find a way to pay all of this back,' she said.

'Maybe I can think of a way,' Troy said smiling.

Gabriella frowned, looking at him. Did he mean... No, that wasn't possible. He couldn't be attracted to her. What man would fall for a woman that burst out in tears when she had to buy cereal?

'Fine, I'll wait for your suggestion.' She felt her cheeks burning red and was embarrassed that she thought more of his remark. 'I wanted to ask you if you can take me to Ricky's school. I want to pick him up today.'

'Of course, no problem.' Troy got up and pulled off his shirt.

Gabriella stared at his bared upper body and broad shoulders. 'W-what are you doing?' she stuttered. He raised his eyebrow. 'I'm putting on another T-shirt. By installing the equipments it got dirty.

'O, eh...' Gabriella could hardly keep her eyes off of his magnificent body. This was the second time that day she had seen him half-naked.

And again she felt the heat rising inside of her, she even had to gasp for air. Even though she hadn't thought about herself as a woman, she noticed that the past ten years in a coma hadn't changed anything about her hormones. Her body was reacting just as hard on his well build body.

Troy turned to her. 'Are you ok? You don't feel well?' He had a smooth, tanned skin, and the curve by his muscled shoulder to his rock hard biceps was just fascinating.

Gabriella swallowed. 'I-I'm ok,' she answered. He smiled and tapped the tip of her nose with his finger for a second. 'If you give me two minutes, I'll be ready to go with you,' he said.

During those two minutes Gabriella decided that it was more than normal to have sexual thoughts. It was perfectly normal. Maybe it was even a sign that her condition was progressing. She hoped that she would be a full woman again in the future – a woman who could be the mother for her son too.

A mother.

At that thought her excitement disappeared as snow for the sun. Instantly she felt her heart beating in her throat. She tried to control the panic while she walked behind Troy to the car.

About fifteen minutes later Troy parked his SUV at Ricky's school. Gabriella looked at her watch. 'We're too early,' she said, her mouth dry from the nerves. 'It's ok,' Troy answered calm, while he opened the window. 'We can wait.'

Waiting made Gabriella even more nervous than she already was. To get a little distraction, she studied the other waiting mothers. By the look of it, all those women were doing three things at the same time. They were doing their nails, making phone calls and writing in their agenda's. Or they held their cell phone to their ear, gave the kid in the seat a toy and drank from a water bottle. All woman looked lively and energetic, and they wore their hair short or in jumpy pigtails.

Absently Gabriella ran her hand through her long dark hair. 'Maybe I should do something about it too,' she muttered.

'It's beautiful as it is.'

Startled she looked sideways at Troy. She had completely forgotten she was next to him. 'What?'

'Your hair. It's beautiful. You're a really beautiful woman,' Troy said.

For the so many time that day she felt her cheeks warm up. 'I didn't mean to fish for compliments,' she said.

'I know. I was just stating something,' Troy said. 'When I saw you looking at the other women, I could guess what you were thinking. You don't have to worry. You're looking even more beautiful than they do.'

'Can you read minds?' Gabriella asked. She didn't know if she liked it that much.

He shrugged. 'I'm a good observer,' he answered. 'I thank that to my FBI-study. Didn't you work for the government in the past? Daniel said that before the accident you worked for the ministry of Finances. He said that you did research to the books of Thomson TX, Ltd. and met Cameron Thomson there.

Cameron Thomson. Ricky's father.

Gabriella turned away from him. 'Than they must have thought you that you should never get personally involved with the person you're researching as well,' she said. 'That you should never be so stupid to fall in love with him and than sleep with him.'

'Is that how it went?' Troy asked softly.

'I don't remember anymore.' Gabriella stroke her hand over her face. 'That's how Daniel reconstructed the case just after the accident. When I reclaimed consciousness, I couldn't tell him a thing about the relation. My memories from those months at Thomson TX, Ltd. were gone completely. After that I went straight to my business study. It was a training of fifteen weeks, as preparation to my job. The next memory I have is the face of Nancy Armstrong, who was looking at me worriedly. I stared her right in the eye and asked for a can of soda. That were the first words I asked in more than nine years. Between my diploma and the can of soda everything was missing.'

'You don't remember if you loved Cameron either?' Troy asked.

Helpless Gabriella lifted her hands. 'I have no idea.'

'Then it had to be really hard for you to believe that you really delivered a child,' Troy said.

Even though Gabriella didn't really like admitting it, she nodded. 'But it's true. And I'm glad that Ricky always got the love and support from Nancy and Dean. They have raised him as if he was their own child. But I'm his mother.'

With her whole heart she wished she would feel as a mother as well. She thought Ricky was a nice boy. It wasn't hard to love a happy, nice kid, but mother feelings were something completely different. How could you learn to love somebody as a mother?

In the distance a school bell rang. Everywhere around them car doors opened and confident, sassy mothers got out. Some of them still held their cell phones, others held a toddler on their arm. After Gabriella took a deep breath, she opened the door. 'See you in a minute,' she told Troy.

'I'll walk with you.'

A real mother would have declined the offer, but Gabriella was happy with the support. She put her hands in the pockets of her jeans and walked after the other women onto the school grounds.

Gabriella saw dozens of kids coming from the grounds. Some of them walked to the school bus, others to their mothers. Amongst the kids she couldn't find Ricky. While frowning she walked against the stream kids. Somewhere she heard a kid call her sons name, but when she turned around, the kid had disappeared.

Stay calm, she said to herself. It's not of any use to panic. Even for people without brain damage it's confusing to stand between dozens of kids. Take a deep breath and look around.

'Grr!' A toddler with a self painted mask was walking towards her with his hands raised, as if they were claws. Startled Gabriella backed away. The next moment she felt the touch of something strong. Troy. Soothing he put a hand on her shoulder. 'What a jungle,' he said amused. His warm breath against her neck gave her goosebumps. Nevertheless Gabriella felt the anxiety ease off of her. Just like at the supermarket his presence had a soothing effect on her. It was as if he gave her strength by being close to her.

'I don't see Ricky anywhere,' she said. 'Do you think we have missed him?'

All the mothers with their cellphones had gotten their kids, they had gotten in their cars and had slammed the doors shut. All that time they had been talking on their phone.

'No we didn't miss him,' Troy answered calm. By her shoulders he turned her to the kids on the street. 'You see the sign on the left?'

Much to her relief Gabriella saw the dark hair of her son coming from underneath one of the yellow helmets. Her big son Ricky helped the little kids cross the street. Her heart grew with proud.

'He's doing great, don't you think?' she said to Troy.

'He's doing amazing,' he affirmed emphatic.

A wrinkle appeared on her forehead. 'You're not laughing at me, are you?'

'Not at all. But you sounded like a real mother,' he explained laughing.

Gabriella laughed as well. 'That's not possible, because I don't have a cellphone,' she said.

'What?'

'Nevermind.' She looked back at Ricky, who was waiting patiently for the last children to cross the street. When he put the sign under his arm and walked in their direction, she saw he noticed her.

'Hey,' she said. She could only hope she sounded just like a minute ago. 'How was school?'

'What are you doing here?' he wanted to know. Over his shoulder he looked at his friends.

'I thought you would like it to get picked up,' she answered. 'Then you don't have to go with the schoolbus. And if you want, we can go pick up an icecream somewhere.'

'I'd rather take the bus.' He looked at a boy that stood next to him. 'Anthony and I always go home together.'

Gabriella shrugged. 'We could take Anthony as well,' she said. 'Then we could buy him an icecream as well.'

Anthony's chocolate brown eyes grew big from fear. 'I can't go with strange people,' he said. 'My mom would kill me.'

'I'm not just a stranger,' Gabriella said.

The boys didn't hear her anymore. Ricky pushed Anthony towards the school ground. 'Come, Anthony, we have to get our signs back in,' Gabriella heard him say.

'Ricky, wait!' she called.

He turned around 'What now?'

'I...' Gabriella sighed. 'Would you really rather take the bus home?'

'Yes.'

'Then you should do that.' Nervously she rubbed her palms against her jeans. 'Sorry that I came here without telling you. And sorry for wanting to take Anthony along. I wasn't thinking.'

'A real mother would know that his mother told him he wasn't allowed to go with strangers.'

A real mother. A real mother...

Ricky was onto her. He knew that she didn't feel like a mother. And that he didn't accept her as a mother, she would never become it either, no matter how hard she would try.

Troy was watching the conversation from a distance. He didn't need an FBI-training to see that the talk between mother and son wasn't going good. Gabriella walked back on her own and didn't say a word on the ride home. Troy left her alone with her thoughts, because he didn't know what to do for her.

Back at the guest abode of the Armstrongs she asked him how one of the fitness equipments worked. Troy could only hope that a little excersize would help her mood improve.

Gabriella started the equipment and got onto it. After walking for a few minutes in a low range, she let it go faster, as if she tried running away from her problems. After half an hour her T-shirt was stuck to her body and her hair was matted against her forehead.

But she kept running, as if she was chased by someone or something. Her long ponytail went from one side to the other. Her sport shoes made a noise on the strip she was running on.

Troy had stayed close all that time, telling her he had to do his own excersizes. After some time he started to worry about her.

'That's enough,' he called from the other side of the room. When she pretended not to hear her, he put his bar-bells down. He walked to the equipment she was on and stood in front of it. 'That's enough,' he repeated, looking her right in the eyes.

'That's my own choice,' she said panting.

'Stop now, Gabriella.' He put his hand out and turned the tempo down. Time for the cooling down.

Her feet were slowing down. 'I don't need a babysitter,' she said still panting. 'I used to have an excellent condition.'

'And it will return,' Troy said, turning the tempo further down. 'Unless you get yourself a heart attack, of course. I charge more for CPR.'

Gabriella stuck out her tongue to him. 'You don't believe me, do you. I used to be a strong, tough chick, who could deal with a lot.'

Troy let his look slide past her long legs. Strength didn't help with awful happenings and distress. Daniel had been tough. Lily was strong. But they hadn't been able to push the distress from their lives. Jessica Chandler had been strong as well, but it hadn't been enough to save her.

'A secret agent-accountant.'

He looked at her with surprise. 'What did you say?'

With her hands on her hips she walked on the strip calmly. 'That's how I saw myself, as a combination between a secret agent and an accountant,' she said.

'We got a heavy body training and had to learn how to shoot. I know your training was much harder, but I think I did good.'

She got off the strip and got a towel, with which she wiped her face. 'I think they better could've given me a physical training now,' she muttered.

She was talking about her relation with Cameron Thomson. Troy noticed that he intuitive hated Cameron. Daniels brother had been twice the age she had. It hadn't been hard to seduce a young girl probably. The bastard, he thought. He seduced her and changed her life forever. He wanted to hide his judgment for Gabriella. 'It seemed that Cameron Thomson was a very charming man,' he said.

Gabriella tightened her grip on the towel 'Is that supposed to make me feel better?' she asked bitterly. 'I thought I wasn't sensitive for beauty and charms on the outside.'

Even though Troy wasn't the man to make light jokes, he tried to cheer her up a bit. 'I'm glad you're not,' he said. 'Because that means I still have a chance.'

There wasn't even a smile appearing on her face. 'You would be deeply disappointed in me probably,' she said softly. 'I failed as a secret agent. I failed as Ricky's mother. I won't be much of a wife and lover either then.'

Apart from her sad words her warm, fruity and highly feminine scent tickled his nose. Again he wanted to take her into his arms, but he succeeded not to. But he couldn't resist to wipe a wet wisp of hair from her face.

'Give yourself some time,' he said softly.

'I don't have time! I can't take it easy,' she reacted. 'I have lost so much time already. In ten years Ricky doesn't need a mother anymore.'

What could he say about that? How could he sooth her? It was a pity that he never had been good in making people feel better. His expertise was more on the grounds of cynicism.

'What's the alternative?' he asked.

She turned around. 'Throw the towel in,' she answered.

Troy was startled by those words. Not because he didn't understand her, but because he gave up hope himself. After the happenings around Jessica Chandler he had withdrawn to the mountains of New Mexico. If his father hadn't picked him up, he still would've been there – drinking and depressed. By now he had been sober for a long time, but the sadness was still there.

'I can't give up hope,' Gabriella continued. 'I have the responsibility for Ricky. I have to pull through. I owe that to Nancy and Dean, who have always believed in me. Do you understand that?'

'Yeah, I understand,' Troy answered truthfully. 'Sometimes we don't deal with free choices, but because we promised something to someone.'

Attentively she watched his face. 'Are you thinking about your promise to Daniel?' she asked.

'And the promise to myself and my parents. I owe my brother Jason to trace Christopher.'

'I can come into that.' Gabriella lay a hand on his arm. 'I'm sorry if I get to you as this egocentric person. It's not easy to think of other people. I'm working on my own problem all day, but I know you have sorrow too. It's really sweet that apart from those things you still want to baby sit me. I never thought that I would get my own, protecting Mary Poppins.'

His eyebrows raised up. 'I'm ok with everything, as long as I don't have to roam the air holding onto an umbrella,' he joked.

She smiled at him. 'I know that I'm not completely ok, but if you ever want to talk to someone, I'm ready to listen to you,' she said.

'I'm not really a talker,' Troy murmured.

'Then you're lucky,' she reacted with a little smile. 'I've kept my mouth shut for years, so I'm ok with silences.'

She said on the edge of the fitness equipment and patted with her hand on the spot next to her. Much to his surprise he sat down like she asked. She lay her hands on her knees and rested her cheek on it. In a friendly silence they sat like that for a while. Troy looked at the back of her head and heard the birds sing in the garden. In the distance he heard the barking of a dog. Spring, Troy thought. New life. The season of new hope.

After a couple of minutes he leaned forward and saw that Gabriella's eyes were closed. Had she fallen asleep? He long darkbrown lashes didn't tremble. She seemed completely relaxed.

'You're still an amazing woman,' he muttered.

Now it seemed as if Gabriella had indeed been awake. Her eyes opened and she looked at him. 'Do you mean that?' she asked.

'Yeah, I mean that.'

For a moment they looked each other straight in the eyes. When he saw that her cheeks blushed, he put his palm against her face.

'Shall I proof it to you?' he asked.

'Only if you want to,' she answered. 'You don't have to feel obligated.

'I do it because I really want to,' Troy said. He didn't want to see her sad and wanted to proof her that she was worth it. Besides that he felt the excitement returning in the pit of his stomach. He knew that his feelings only complicated the things, but at this moment it didn't seem important.

**DUN DUN DUN... End of the chapter :) No I'm just kidding, you really think I would stop here? Haha, ok let's return to the story!**

He leaned into her and pressed his lips against hers. For two seconds she held her mouth closed stiff, but then he felt her lips turn softer. Troy went slowly and interpreted the lips not as an invitation immediately. He let her get used to his mouth and let her enjoy his caress.

'Don't forget to breath,' he whispered with his lips against her mouth. 'You need oxygen.'

'Is that why I see little stars?' she asked.

Troy ended the kiss smiling, so he could look at her.

'You should smile more often,' she noted, stroking over his mouth with her fingers.

'If you keep kissing me, it might happen,' he said.

'You're sweet,' she muttered.

'I'm cynical. Cold. Distant. Determined. Ask others,' Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head. 'You're sweet. You've kissed me at the right moment, when I felt down and insecure.'

'I didn't do it to be sweet.'

'Why then?' He big eyes looked at him.

'Because...' Because you're beautiful and sexy, he wanted to say. Because my jeans is tight now I kissed you.

'See.' She got up grinning.

'Don't be wrong,' he said. 'I'm serious. I'm cynical. Cold. Distant.'

Shaking her head she disappeared in the direction of the bathroom.

The smiles was still visible on his face when his phone rang. He answered.

'Bolton speaking.'

'Yeah Bolton as well,' a voice said.

From one moment to the other Troy had forgotten the spring and the kiss. It was as if he smelled a sulphuric, rotten scent. He looked at the door of the bathroom, to look if Gabriella didn't hear the conversation.

'Where are you, Christopher?'

'Do you really think I would tell you that, little brother? Then you're even more stupid than I already thought.'

Troy held the phone to his ear, gnashing his teeth. In one way Christopher's arrogance was legitimate. He had escaped from prison and he had abducted Lily Thomson. At the transfer of the money the FBI had lost him, even with the relevance of experienced man such as Troy. There had even fallen a dead man at the transfer. No, he wasn't stupid at all.

'We thought that you left for South America with the money,' Troy said as calm as possible.

'You wish I did, huh?'

Troy's biggest wish was to break Chris' neck. If Gabriella could look into his heart right now, she would see that he was indeed cold and determined.

'Why are you calling me?' he wanted to know.

'I read the Red Rock news paper this morning. That hint, flashed through Troy's head. He had read the local news paper. Chris couldn't know that Troy was close to him right now.

'I didn't have the time for that,' was his neutral reaction.

'I didn't have the time for that,' Chris repeated him. 'You don't need to read the paper to know that Daniel Thomson has left you a big sum of money and an attractive share-capital.'

It got onto Troy that a few remarkable things of Daniels will had leaked to the press. The benefit of it was that Christopher felt like he should react to it. If he listened well he might get to know more about Chris' where-abouts.

'I can't help that, Chris. That was Daniels decision,' he said.

'I think it's an outrage that you get a part of Thomson's money, while I worked to hard for it!' Chris exploded.

Ever since their youth Chris had had the idea that the Thomson money was his. The idea had gotten to him through their grandfather, Farley Bolton, who had wanted the Thomson money to finance his political ambitions.

'For all I know you did get a part of the Thomson fortune,' Troy stated, 'You got the money for Lily.'

'That was like nothing,' Chris sneered. 'What do I care about that money?'

At that statement Troy frowned. 'Since when are you not interested in money?' he wanted to know.

'Since I have a more important goal,' the answer was. 'I have the plan to deal with you, little man. Keep looking over your shoulder, because I'm right behind you. I am going to get you. That's my reward and my revenge.'

After those words the connection got cut. Troy stayed with the phone in his hands for a few seconds.

Well-well. That was an interesting progress...

The man who Troy wanted to deal with, wanted to deal with Troy.

We will see, he thought

Let's hope the best of us two will win.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it :D THEY KISSED! Wooohooo :D haha and that was Chris' first appearance don't worry, it wont be his last! Please review!!**


	6. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's another chapter to Troy, I'm sorry it took so freakin' long for me to post another chapter, but at last here it is, and I hope you will enjoy it just as much as the other chapters : Chapters will follow more close to eachother from now on, I promise, I will update as much as I can , but no updates from 2-12 May because I will be in Croatia then and I won't have any internet : Love you lots people and review!!**

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I wish I did!

**Chapter 4**

Troy sat at the kitchen table the next morning. The last bit out of the coffeepot was in his cup. The strong, warm drink was just as black as his mood. He had been thinking about Chris' call all night long.

His brother had threatened that he would deal with him. As if Troy would just sit and wait for his brother to come and take revenge.

He himself wasn't afraid of Chris, but he knew that his brother would kill the people that would come in his way. Without any consciousness. Luckily, Chris didn't know where Troy was at the moment. He would never think that his brother was in de guesthouse of the Armstrong family. For as far as Troy knew, his brother didn't even know that the Armstrong's existed, or Gabriella and Ricky for that matter. That meant that they were safe for now.

The problem was that Troy couldn't look for his brother right now, well not active. Because he promised to take care of Gabriella, he couldn't continue his search. That meant that it was Chris' turn to play. That situation wasn't much to Troy's liking at all. He was used to being able to play it his way and not being independent from what others would decide.

'Morning.' Gabriella walked into the kitchen with a sleepy face. Her hair was in every direction and wore a thick dressing gown. On her left cheek was the imprint of a fold in her pillow.

With a surpressed groan he grabbed his cup harder. Even in the early morning his longing for Gabriella was racing through his body. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him. 'You're Troy Bolton right?' she asked.

Oh God, Troy thought. Was this another disfunction in her brain? 'Did you forget that?' he asked.

'No, but Troy Bolton would say good morning to me as well.' She teased.

'Oh. Sorry.'

'It's okay,' she said, waving the comment away. 'I'm not a morning person myself.'

But Troy felt guilty nonetheless. The guilt grew even bigger when he saw her looking at the empty coffeepot. 'I will make some more,' he said fast.

'No it's ok,' Gabriella said. 'I can make coffee. We learned it at the recovery home.'

She walked to the counter and took the lit of de coffeemill. In the mill was enough coffee for another pot. After that she took the filter out of the coffee machine and threw the old bag away. Then she stared helpless at the coffee mill. Just like yesterday at the supermarket he saw she was getting confused. Her back stiffened, and she pulled her shoulders up. Troy felt a stint of pity in his heart. At the moment he wanted to get up and help her, she started talking.

'Could you help me?' she asked. 'What was the right process again?'

Troy let go of his breath that he had held in unnoticed. 'You throw the bag with old coffee in the trashcan on the counter,' he answered slowly. 'On your right hand you see a glass pot with new bags in it. You take one out and put it in the coffee machine.'

Troy saw how she wanted to throw the plastic bag holder away as well. He wanted to say that she just needed to throw the bag away, but at the last minute she seemed to remember. In his mind, Troy gave her small applause.

'I remembered that,' she said, while putting a new bag in the filter. 'At the recovery center we only practiced with clean filters. That's why I didn't know what to do for a second, but then suddenly I remembered again. Things like that, can get me confused a lot. I know that I miss something and if I would answer a multiple choice question, then I would choose the right answer. But without the right answer I have to think really hard in was process it goes.'

'I think it's really brave of you to ask me for help,' Troy said. 'It seems hard to me.'

'It is hard,' she turned the coffee machine on. 'I don't like the fact that I need help, and don't like to admit that I can't do things on my own. But there's nothing to it, I just have to get used to it.' She turned the oven alarm on to five minutes. 'Helps me remember,' she explained when she saw his questioned look. 'When the alarm goes off, I know that I was doing something. If I don't, I forget the coffee and forget that I was waiting for something. Another thing that helps me remember is my notebook. I write lots of stuff in there as well.'

Troy couldn't do nothing else but admire her for her practical thinking. She wasn't complaining and wasn't waiting for his pity either. In the recovery center they had told that Gabriella liked to use things to remember stuff, and that in the future she wouldn't need them as much as now. But what the therapists hadn't told Troy that how moving it was to see Gabriella busy like this.

He surpressed another groan and took a piece of the paper. When the alarm went off several minutes later, he saw her walking to the coffee machine. A few seconds later she had place a fresh cup of coffee in front of him.

'Thank you.'

'I should thank you,' Gabriella said. 'I don't know if I would thank anyone before my accident, but I keep getting better and better now.'

'You don't need to thank me.'

'But I do, Troy. I'm very thankful of you. I'm really happy with both you and the Armstrong's,' she said. 'I don't know how I can ever give enough back…'

'You don't need to give anything back, it's a pleasure being here at the breakfast table with you,' Troy said to truth.

'You're not going to tell me that you never have been with a woman at a breakfast table before?' she asked.

'The only woman who I've ever eaten breakfast with, is my mother,' he answered.

She looked up surprised. 'You've never been married? Never been engaged?' He shook his head. 'Never a mistress?'

'Of course, every once and a while.'

A smile played on her lips. 'But clearly you've never lived with anyone,' she said. 'You've never met anyone with whom you had to share a kitchen and bathroom.'

'That's right. I'm a loner. Always have been,' he answered.

'How old are you?' she wanted to know.

'Thirty one.'

'Then I'm older than you,' she teased. 'Maybe you could learn something from me.'

I would like to learn how to keep my longings for you in hand, Troy thought. His eye went to her dressing gown, which had opened up a little. He could look at a piece of the caramel colored skin and her collarbone.

It was in his nature to protect others. That was one of the reasons why he had joined the FBI. Normally Gabriella would have been one of many people he would be obliged to protect. But he had never been this attracted to anyone. Not even Jessica Chandler and her family had moved so much in him. He told himself not to be lead by his emotions.

He had an assignment. He had to protect Gabriella and Ricky and make Chris pay for his crimes.

Gabriella was still looking at her with a smile upon her face. He could smell her amazing scent. It was a combination between flowers, sunshine and a feminine, exciting freshness. In every room where she had been, the scent had stayed. Troy was afraid that he would make the freshness go away with his big hands, moodswings and unfresh family history.

Irritated he pushed his chair back.

'Troy, is something wrong?' she asked worried. You see, he already had negative effect on her. The smile had disappeared from her face and she looked up to him worried. A man like himself could better stay alone. Daniel should've asked someone else to protect her.

'Troy?'

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. 'My brother…' he started. Tell her now, a voice in his consciousness told him to. Tell her that you have to go find Chris. Go out hunting and leave Gabriella in the care of someone else. Someone who is nicer to her, who has more respect. Someone who isn't attracted to her. Someone who just wants to help and can find the right words to comfort her when she's sad.

'Are you worried about your brother?' she asked, her hand on his arm. 'I heard you couldn't sleep last night. Was it because of your brother?'

Troy looked at her olive fingers on his tanned arm. He was annoyed by the fact that Chris was taking control of his thoughts. But now he came through about the fact that Gabriella was in control of his thoughts just as much.

He wanted to be there for her until she was ready to take on life again. 'Actually I'd rather not think about my brother at all,' he said, his hand winding through her fingers. 'It seems much more fun to kiss you.' Before she could say a thing, he had leaned his head into her and had pressed his mouth onto her lips.

**Tada! what did you think? Did you like it? Another kiss : O M G, they're sooooo cute together don't you think :D haha Reviews please! xx Daph**


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